7alpha-methyl-16alpha-hydroxy-estrones



United States Patent 2 Claims. (Cl. 260-697.4)

This invention relates to the manufacture of 7a-methyl l6ot-hydroxy-estrone and its 3,16-diacetate of the formula in which R represents hydrogen or an acetyl group. These compounds have valuable pharmacological properties. In the Allen-Daisy test (keratinization of the vagina), on subcutaneous administration to the castrated femalerat, the exhibit a higher estrogenic action than the corresponding 7-desmethyl compounds, and they have at the same time a weak action on the growth of the uterus (Biilbring-Burn test). The new compounds are 1 also characterized by a strong antigonadotropic action. These particular proportions of the specific actions of the new estrogenic substances make them especially suitable for the treatment of a wide variety of disorders of the menstrual cycle, such as dysmenorrheas and polymenorrheas, and climacteric deficiencies.

The compounds of this invention can be prepared in a manner known per so.

A preferred method consists in converting 7a-methylestrone in per se conventional mannerinto a l7-enolacylate, e.g. the enolacetate, and treating the resulting 7amethyl-estrone-17-enolacylate-3-acylate with a strongly acid peracid, such as metachloroperbenzoic acid to obtain the corresponding 3,16-diacylate of 16oc-hYdI'OXY-7otmethyl-estrone, or with a less acid peracid, such as perbenzoic acid or perphthalic acid, and isomerizing the resulting 16,17a-OXldO-7a-Il16thYPA -3,17 diacyloxyestratriene in a manner known per se, e.g. with glacial acetic acid in the presence of a catalytic quantity of a strong acid, such as e.g. perchloric acid, to form the 3,16u-diacylate of 16u-hydroxy-7a-methyl-styrene, and hydrolyzing the latter, if desired, under mildly alkaline conditions to obtain the 16a-hydroxy-7a-methyl-estrone, and acetylating the latter, if desired, in per se conventional manner.

7u-methyl-estrone can be prepared as described in application Ser. No. 420,146, filed on even date herewith.

The new compounds can be used in the form of pharmaceutical preparations containing them in admixture or conjunction with an organic or inorganic, solid or liquid excipient suitable for enteral, e.g. oral, parenteral or topical administration. Suitable excipents are substances that do not react with the new compounds, for example I 3,318,926 Patented May 9, 1967 ICE water, gelatine, lactose, starches, magnesium stearate, talcum, vegetable oils, 'benzyl alcohols, gums, propylene glycols, cholesterol or other known medicinal excipients. The pharmaceutical preparations may be, for example, tablets, drages or capsules, or in liquid form solutions, suspensions or emulsions. They may be sterilized and/ or may con-tain assistants such as preserving, stabilizing, wetting or emulsifying agents, solution promoters, salts for regulating the osmotic pressure or buffers. They may also contain further therapeutically valuable substances. The content of theactive ingredient in these preparations is preferably within the dose range of 0.002 and 1 mg. per unit dose.

The following examples illustrate the invention:

EXAMPLE 1 A solution of 1.0 g. of 7a-methyl-estrone in 10* ml. of isopropenyl acetate, after being treated with 0.625 ml. of a catalyst solution prepared by mixing 0.4 ml. of concentrated sulfuric acid with 20 ml. of isopropenyl acetate, is heated to the boil. In the course of one hour, 2.5 ml. of the solvent are distilled off, another 10 ml. of isopropenyl acetate and 0.625 ml. of catalyst solution are added, and 9 ml. of solvent distilled 01f in the course of. 2 hours. The reaction mixture is cooled to 5 C., treated with a solution of 1.5 m1. of pyridine in 10 ml. .of ether, diluted with a 5:1 mixture of ether and methylene chloride, washed neutral with ice-cold sodium bicarbonate solution and with water, the washings extracted with ether, and the organic solutions dried and evaporated under a water-jet vacuum. The crude product obtained (1.5 g.) is purified by chromatography on silica gel. The pure A -3,17 diacetoxy-7a-methyl-estratetraene is eluted with benzene.

940 mg. of the resulting crystalline A -3,17-diacetoxy-7a-methyhestratetraene is dissolved in 21 ml. of chloroform, 9 ml. of 0.48-molar monoperphthalic acid in other are added, and the batch allowed to stand for 18 hours at 20 C. 50 ml. of water are added and the reaction mixture then diluted with ether, the aqueous phase is separated, extracted with ether, the organic solutions washed neutral with a 5% potassium iodide- 15% sodium thiosulfate solution and an ice-cold sodium bicarbonate solution, and then with water, dried and evaporated under a wet-jet vacuum. There are obtained 1.02 g. of crude A -3,17-diacetoxy-7a-methyl-16,17- oxido-estratriene which on being recrystallized twice from methylene chlorode-l-petroleum ether yields 422 mg. of the pure compound melting at 147 C.

260 mg. of the last-mentioned compound are treated with 2.6 ml. of a mixture of 0.2 ml. of 70% perchloric acid and 9.8 ml. of 96% acetic acid, and stirred for one hour at 20 C. The slightly greenish-colored reaction solution is diluted with water, extracted with ether, washed twice with ice-cold sodium bicarbonate solution and twice with water, dried, and the ether evaporated 'under reduced pressure. The resulting crude product (254 mg.) consists of a mixture of A r -3,16-diacetoxy and 3,l6-dihydroxy-7u-rnethyl-l7-oxo-estratriene which is either acetylated in pyridine+acetic anhydride, to convert the free 3,16-dihydroxy-compound into the 3,16-diacetate or separated by chromatography on 40 times its quantity of silica gel. The aforementioned diacetate is eluted With benzene. After being recrystallized'from methylene chl0ride+ether+petroleum ether it melts at 138139 C. [a] =+12-6i2.

The starting material is prepared, for example, as follows:

To a solution of 250 mg. of lithium in a mixture of 4.6 g. of diphenyl and 25 ml. of tetrahydrofuran are added 0.55 ml. of diphenylmethane and 1 g. of 3-oxo-7amethyl 17 ethylenedioxy-A -androstadiene which are rinsed in with 5 ml. of tetrahydrofuran. The mixture is boiled and stirred for 2 hours under a current of nitrogen, then cooled with a mixture of ice and methanol, and treated with 2.5 g. of ammonium chloride. The solution discolors. minutes later, it is treated with 7.5 ml. of water and with benzene. It is then washed with a dilute solution of sodium chloride, extracted with benzene, dried, and evaporated under vacuum. The residue is treated with 30 ml. of 90% acetic acid and the flask filled with nitrogen and heated from 60 to 80 C. in the course of 25 minutes. The batch is then evaporated under reduced pressure, and this operation repeated once with benzene. The residue is chromatographed over 30 g. of alumina (activity II). The 7amethyl estrone is eluted with benzene. Recrystallization from a mixture of methylene chloride and ether results in 350 mg. of the product. It melts at 233236 C. and its mixed melting point with authenic material shows no lowering, and the IR sprectrum is identical with that of authentic material.

EXAMPLE 2 1 g. of 7a-methyl-estrone is dissolved in 10ml. of acetic anhydride containing 150 mg. of para-toluenesulfonic acid. The mixture is heated at 100 C. for 2 hours and the solution, after cooling, poured into ice-water. On extraction with ether and washing the extract neutral with ice-cold sodium bicarbonate solution, and water, drying and evaporating it, 1.4 g. of crude 131415411046- 3,17-diacetoxy-7wmethyl-estratetraene are obtained.

This product is dissolved in 50 ml. of methylene chloride, the solution treated with 650 mg. of metachloroperbenzoic acid, and all-owed to stand at 20 C. for 3 hours. On working up in the usual manner, 1.4 g. of the corresponding 16,17a-epoxide are obtained. This compound is dissolved in 20 ml. of glacial acetic acid containing 0.5 ml. of 70% perchloric acid, the solution left to itself at room temperature for an hour and a half, then diluted with water, and extracted with ether. The organic layer is washed with ice-cold sodium bicarbonate solution and water, dried and evaporated under a water- I jet vacuum. There are obtained 1.3 g. of crude A 3 16a-diacetoxy-7m-methyl 17 oxo-estratriene; IR bands, inter alia, at 5.72, 5.7-6, 6.25, 8.10, 8.25 and 9.76

III/1..

The 7a-rnethyl-estrone serving as starting material is prepared as follows:

0.2 ml. of a solution of 0.25 ml. of concentrated sulfuric acid in 5 ml. of dioxane is added to a solution of 500 mg. of A -3-oxo-7a-methyl 1.7;8-acetoxy 19 norandrostene in 4 ml. of absolute dioxane, 0.8 ml. of orthoformic acid ethyl ester and 0.04 ml. of absolute ethanol, and the whole is stirred for 20 minutes at 20 C. 0.5 ml. of pyridine is then added and the solution is evaporated under a water-jet and a high vacuum; the residue is mixed with water and ether, and the organic layer is once more washed with water, dried and evaporated under a waterjet vacuum, to yield 590 mg. of a yellow oil which, on chromatography on neutral alumina (activity 11), yields 303 mg. of crystalline A 3 ethoxy 7a methyl 1713- acetoxy-l9-norandrostadiene. The infrared spectrum of this compound contains, inter alia, bands at 5.80, 6.00, 6.15, 8.03, 8.10, 9.60 and 9.75 -It is dissolved without previous purification in 10 ml. of acetone, mixed with a solution of 180 mg. of sodium acetate in 1.3 ml. of water, cooled to about -15 C., 255 mg. of N-bromo-succinimide and 0.2 ml. of glacial acetic acid are added, and the batch is stirred for 2 hours at 15 C. to 20 C. A solution of 300 mg of potassium iodide in 1.5 ml. of Water and then 400 mg. of sodium thiosulfate in 2 ml. of water are added, the mixture is diluted with ether, the organic layer is washed with water, dried and evaporated under a water-jet vacuum. The resulting crude A -3-oxo-6-brorn0-17fi-acetoxy-19-norandostene is dissolved in 5 ml. of acetone, mixed with 2 drops of concentrated hydrochloric acid and refluxed for 2 hours. Conventional working up yields amorphous 7a-rnethylestradiol-17-acetate whose infrared spectrum contains bands, inter alia, at 2.82, 5.80, 6.20 (6.32), 6.68, 8.07, 9.60 and 9.75

1.7 g. of the compound so obtained are dissolved in a mixture of 4 ml. of dihydropyran and 4 ml. of tetrahydrofu-ran. 0.1 ml. of phosphorus oxychloride is added to the solution, which is then left to itself for 15 minutes with exclusion of moisture. The reaction solution is then poured on to ml. of ice+water and 35 m1. of saturated sodium bicarbonate solution, and the mixture is extracted with ether. The organic layer is washed neutral with water, dried, and evaporated under a waterjet vacuum. The resulting colorless oil (2.10 g.) is then dissolved in methylene chloride and filtered through 30 times its weight of alumina (activity I). In the IR spectrum, the resulting M -3-tetrahydropyranyloxy- 7a-methyl 17,8-acetoxy-estratriene (1.76 g.) exhibits bands at 5.78, 6.23, 6.71, 8.20, 9.00, 9.74, 9.85 and 1040 It is hydrolyzed without being first purified. To this end, it is dissolved in 100 ml. of methanol, and a solution of 2.94 g. of potassium carbonate in 10 m1. of water added, the mixture then stirred, and boiled for 15 hours under reflux. The reaction mixture is then cooled, poured into 350 ml. of water while stirring vigorously, the crystalline crude product is filtered off with suction, washed with water, dissolved in ether, and the solution shaken once 'with water, dried, admixed with 3-5 drops of pyridine, and evaporated under a water-jet vacuum. The resulting crude, crystalline A -3-tetrahydropyrany-loxy 7a-methyl 17B-hydroxy estratriene (1.52 g.) is dissolved in 15 ml. of acetone, the solution cooled to 0 C., treated, while being stirred and cooled, with 1.3 ml. of an 8 N-chromic acid solution in dilute sulfuric acid and, after'about 1 minute, with 3 g. of sodium acetate. The reaction mixture is then diluted with water and ether, the aqueous layer separated, and extracted with ether. The organic solution is washed neutral with ice-cold sodium bicarbonate solution and water, dried, and evaporated under a water-jet vacuum. The resulting crude product yields on recrystallization from methylene chloride-t-ether and chromatography of the mother liquor a total of 1.10 g. of pure 7a-methylestrone-3-tetnahyd-ro-pyrany1 ether of melting point 157-459 C. (IR spectrum: bands, inter alia, at 5.78,

6.24, 6.72, 8.36, 893,935, 9.66 and 10.34;).

' A suspension of 385 mg. of the resulting compound in 12 ml. of 70% acetic acid is heated at 60 C. while being stirred for 15 minutes. The substance dissolves,

and after a shortwhile the product formed begins to settle out. The mixture is poured onto ice and extracted with ether-i-rnethylene chloride (4:1). The organic layer is washed with ice-cold sodium bicarbonate solution and with saturated. sodium chloride solution. After being dried and evaporated in a water-jet vacuum, it yields 293 mg. of 7a-methyl-estrone which on being recrystallized from methylene chloride-l-methanol melts at 230- 23 1 C.; [a] =+147 (c.=1.0).

EXAMPLE 3 concentrated after the addition of petroleum ether.

When the solution has cooled, 50 mg. of A -3, l6a 'dihydroxy 7a-methyl l7-oxo estratriene crystallize which, after being recrystallized once from the same mixture of solvents, melt at 196198 C., [a] =+157- t3.

EXAMPLE 4 Pharmaceutical preparations containing I6a-hydr0xy- 7a-methyl-estr0ne or its 3,16-diacetate (a) A tablet containing 0.003 mg'. 16a-hydroXy-7amethyl-estrone to be used as estrogenic preparation Ingredients: Mg. .16a-hydroxy-7a-methyl-estrone 01.003 Lactose 60.000 Wheat stare-h 20.000 Colloidal silicic acid with hydrolysed starch 5.000 Talc 5.000 Magnesium stearate 0.500 Arrowroot 9.497

v(b) A tablet containing 0.015 mg. of the 16u-hydroxy- 7u-methy1-estrone 3,'16.-diacetate Ingredients: Mg.

16a-hydroxy-7a-methyl-estrone-3,16-

diacetate 0.015 Lactose 50.000 Wheat starch 30.000 Gelatine 1.000 Talc 5.000 Magnesium stearate 0.500 Arrowroot 13.485

Ingredients: G.

16a-hydroxy-h-methyl-estrone-3, 16-

diacetate 0.003

Lactose 100.000

Saccharose 229.997

Stearic acid 3.000

Talc

Pr0cedure.-The mixture of the active substance with lactose is moistened with an aqueous solution of saccharose and granulated in the usual manner. After being dried, the sieved gr-anulate is mixed with stearic acid and talc and then compressed into linguettes.

(d) oil ampoules each containing 0.005 mg. of 16a-hydroxy-7a-methyl-estrone-3,16-diacetate Ingredients 16a-hydroxy-7a-methyl-estrone-3,16-

diacetate g 0.0005 Benzyl alcohol ml 10.00 Sesame oil ml ad. 100

Procedure.-The active ingredient is dissolved in benzyl alcohol and the stirred solution diluted with hot sterilized sesame oil. 1 ml. of this solution containing the ingredients in the above amounts is filled in ampoules which are sterilized at for 1.5 hours.

What is claimed is:

1. The 7a-methyl-16a-hydroxy-estrone of the formula 2. The 3,16-diacetate of the compound of claim 1.

References Cited by the Examiner Fieser et al.: Steroids, pp. 692-96 (1959), Reinhold Publ. Co., New York.

Leeds et al.: J.A.C.S., vol. 76, pp. 2943-48, June 5, 1954 (page 2946 relied on).

LEWIS GOTTS, Primary Examiner.

H. A. FRENCH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. THE 7 A-METHYL-16A-HYDROXY-ESTRONE OF THE FORMULA 